By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The screening committee charged with making the first review of candidates for the vacant University of Cincinnati head football coach position was scheduled to hold its first meeting today with a list of more than 75 candidates to evaluate.

That eight-person committee, headed by Dean Billick, UC's deputy athletic director, will then recommend five to 10 candidates to an evaluation committee that will make a recommendation to athletic director Bob Goin.

"What we're doing right now is we're gathering phone calls, e-mails, faxes, overnight mails, you name it," Billick said Thursday.

"... There are people calling recommendations of other college coaches, coaches themselves and a significant number of professional coaches who make contact through their agent."

The other members of the screening committee are Tom Dewey, UCATS president; Bruce Ivory, associate athletic director/compliance; Paul Klaczak, associate athletic director; John Moore, UC student government senator; Bill Mulvihill, senior associate athletic director/development; Jeri Ricketts, UC Athletic Committee member; and Brian Teter, associate athletic director.

Billick scoffed at media reports that UC already is negotiating with someone for the job or that there is a short list of candidates already.

"All I can tell you is that's nonsense," he said.

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com